Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
Though it was Hayden’s designated space, others were free to use it in his absence. Leila set out her tools and began sorting through the glass pieces methodically.
“This is an antique, over five hundred years old. You do realize that if you damage it further, you’ll have to pay for it, right?” the woman warned.
Hayden’s Studio had a strict policy: if they accepted a restoration but failed to fix the item, they would compensate the client ten times the market value. Since Hayden had set this rule, no client had ever received such compensation-his team had never failed.
“Of course, we’ll stick to our policy,” Gregory replied coldly.
Leila stood up and made a gesture.
“What did she say?” the duo perked up, thinking Leila might be intimidated by the threat of paying ten times the item’s value.
Gregory scoffed. “She said you’re mistaken. This piece is at most two hundred years old, not five hundred.”
“No way!”
In their stunned silence, Gregory added, “Leila also says to please stay back and refrain from trying to pick up her techniques.”
Leila’s assertiveness had not often been on display, especially since she had gotten married. As a child, under Roderick’s guidance, Leila would stand up for herself, responding to provocations with sharp wit and a hint of arrogance, proving her strength to anyone who doubted her.
However, after her marriage, that fiery spirit had dimmed. She often shrank behind Landon, bowing her head and choosing to ignore the harsh words thrown her way, masking her distress.
But now, things were different. As Gregory translated her response to their rude visitors, Leila sat perched on a high stool, meticulously sorting through glass fragments. Though she appeared absorbed in her task, there was a subtle but distinct change in her demeanor. A small, knowing smile curled at the corners of her mouth, signaling a newfound confidence.
This assertiveness buoyed Leila’s spirits. It felt liberating to stand up for herself.
Engrossed in her work, Leila skipped lunch, her focus narrowing so intensely that hunger and the world around her faded away. She began by identifying the outline of a glass bottle from the larger fragments. Carefully, she pieced the structure back together bit by bit, using the small patterns and imperfections on the fragments as guides to fit the smaller pieces into place.
Deep in her restoration work, Leila felt as though she were engaging in a silent dialogue with the century-old artifact. With most of the fragments correctly aligned, she picked up her restoration tools and began the meticulous process of gluing the pieces back together, fully absorbed in the intricate dance of reconstruction.
As dusk descended, Gregory turned on the lights in the studio, but Leila, lost in her work, barely noticed. Though she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, she wasn’t distracted by hunger. Instead, a quiet thrill propelled her as she watched the antique glass bottle slowly take form. The restoration gave her more than the satisfaction of winning a wager-it provided deep joy and fulfillment from breathing life back into something that had been shattered.
“Leila?” Her concentration was broken by the sound of her name. Lifting her eyes, she saw Landon standing in the doorway of the studio.
Landon’s brows were furrowed, not in anger but in an expression rich with complexity. He had been watching her for some time.
When Gregory noticed Landon’s presence earlier, he had merely signaled for him to stay quiet, prioritizing Leila’s focus over formalities, and hadn’t even offered Landon a seat.
Landon didn’t mind at all. It was the first time he had ever seen Leila so engrossed in her craft, revealing a side of her he hadn’t witnessed before. In the past, Landon had always perceived Leila as somewhat awkward, especially when she busied herself in the kitchen. But now, she was in her element, a contented smile playing on her lips as her hands deftly maneuvered the tweezers, meticulously fitting the glass fragments together.
The sight was captivating. Landon found himself mesmerized, watching the delicate artistry unfold before him. It wasn’t until his phone vibrated with a message from the butler, inquiring about dinner, that he was jolted back to reality.
“We should head home for dinner. It’s getting late,” Landon said softly, drawing Leila’s attention away from her work.
“Oh, right. You should head home and get some dinner. You missed lunch, too. You can pick this up tomorrow,” Gregory chimed in, remembering that Leila hadn’t eaten all day.
Landon’s expression turned stern. “Is this how your studio treats its workers? She doesn’t even get a break to eat?”
“I’m sorry,” Gregory muttered, lowering his head in apology. It was the first time he had ever apologized to Landon.
Leila quickly gestured to Landon, explaining that Gregory wasn’t to blame-it was her who had forgotten to eat. She glued the final fragment in place. The glass bottle now stood independently, though some areas still required fine-tuning. The restoration was almost complete.
The duo who had been eager to ridicule Leila earlier were now silent, their mocking demeanor gone. They found it easy to provoke a seemingly overlooked housewife, but they weren’t bold enough to challenge someone who clearly had Landon’s attention.
Leila methodically cleaned her workspace, securing the glass bottle in a cabinet and washing her hands. Landon watched quietly from the doorway, offering silent support.
After Leila said her goodbyes to Gregory, Landon gently took her hand.
“We’ve got visitors,” Landon whispered as Leila tried to pull away.
Hesitating slightly, Leila allowed Landon to lead her to the car. Today, unlike usual, Landon had driven himself.
As he started the engine, Landon mentioned casually, “I swung by the Hayes Group after work but ended up waiting when I realized you hadn’t gone there today.”
It turned out Landon had intended to pick Leila up from work but had gone to the wrong location.
Leila, feeling the effects of her long day and missed meals, briefly wondered if her current state was more from hunger-induced fatigue than anything else.
“What about my grandpa’s teapot? Did you manage to fix it?” Landon asked, his tone curious but not accusatory.
Leila quickly gestured as they paused at a red light, indicating that it was almost done.
“Can it be used now?” Landon asked, his voice tinged with anticipation.
Leila’s face remained calm as she signed a deeper, metaphorical message: the teapot could never function as it once did. It was irreparably broken, and no matter how much effort went into restoring it, it would still leak.
The next morning, Leila returned to the studio to continue her work on the glass bottle, while Landon went to his office.
However, Landon found himself unusually distracted throughout the day, unable to shake off Leila’s analogy from the previous night. Her words echoed in his mind, clouding his focus until his assistant, Edgar, abruptly entered the room.
“Mr. Kensington, there’s a rumor circulating online involving your wife. Should I review the PR team’s strategy for handling it?” Edgar asked urgently.
“Rumor?” Landon’s interest piqued as he took the tablet from Edgar.
On the screen was a trending video showing Leila interacting warmly with a man, her smile gentle and affectionate. The caption was provocative and misleading: “Mrs. Kensington finally gets back at her husband by having an affair!”
Landon’s forehead creased as he watched the video of Leila’s once-familiar smile, a smile that had once been reserved for him but was now shared with someone else.
“Mr. Kensington, please take a look…” Edgar began, laying out several public relations strategies.
Landon gestured for Edgar to wait. “Hold on.”
He replayed the video clip, watching closely. In it, Leila was communicating through sign language, her smile soft and gentle. The video focused on that smile, although her hand movements were somewhat blurred. But Landon, familiar with Leila’s signing, understood her message: “My marriage is quite unhappy, so when you decide to marry, choose someone you love, not someone others pick for you.”
“Is that Brent she’s talking to?” Landon asked, though he already recognized him.
“Yes,” Edgar confirmed with a nod.
“Fine…” A cold smirk formed on Landon’s lips. Leila had shared personal details about their marriage with Brent. Despite Landon’s trust in her fidelity, this revelation stung deeply.
“So, Mr. Kensington?” Edgar prompted, sensing the growing tension. It was unusual for him to linger this long without clear direction, and he was becoming concerned about how Landon would handle the situation. Leila had recently visited the office to bring Landon lunch, and everything seemed fine between them. But this incident had clearly shaken Landon, and Edgar feared that Leila was in for a difficult time.
Landon finally spoke. “Go find out who started this.”
“What do you mean?” Edgar asked, surprised, assuming Landon would want to focus on removing the video or addressing Leila directly.
“Find out who’s behind this trending topic, who’s spreading these rumors, and how deep this network of interest runs,” Landon instructed calmly but firmly. “Get a dedicated team on it and set them up in my office immediately.”
Edgar hadn’t realized the full gravity of the situation until now.
There had been countless false rumors about Landon over the years, many of which he had ignored. Even minor celebrities trying to gain publicity through lies had never caught his attention. But this time, Landon was taking the first public rumor about Leila very seriously. He had paused all other operations to focus solely on uncovering the truth behind this.
All leads eventually pointed to Stella. Despite her attempts to hide behind various companies, the Kensington Group’s resources allowed them to track her involvement, revealing chat records showing Stella had paid for marketing services to promote the rumor.
“Stella is also a Hayes. Why would she spread rumors about her own cousin and Mrs. Kensington?” Edgar mused aloud after delivering the final report.
“She and Brent don’t get along,” Landon replied.
It was no secret that there were tensions within the Hayes family, and Stella, who lacked significant influence, often sought ways to boost her status. However, she had neither the skills nor the authority to achieve her ambitions. Even her limited transactions had been facilitated by Sarah, thanks to Landon’s influence.
As Landon considered Sarah’s possible role in manipulating Stella, his expression darkened. He couldn’t shake the suspicion that Sarah might have been pulling the strings behind the scenes.
“Leave the report here,” Landon ordered sternly.
Dealing with online rumors was usually straightforward. Even without Landon’s involvement, Brent’s team could have quickly handled the situation. But the real challenge was in addressing the person behind the rumors.